Bar mounting



Nov. 21, 1961 c. T. MARR, SR 3,009,580

BAR MOUNTING Filed Sept. 21, 1960 Cur/ 020 Z MARK, 5R.

ATTORNEY! U TI? This invention relates to improvements in supporting bars or rods for towel racks and the like, wherein the bars are to be mounted between a pair of supports that are substantially a permanent part of the wall.

In the conventional construction of bath rooms, lavatories and the like, the towel bar supporting brackets, which are usually of porcelain, ceramic or plastic material, are positioned in a spaced apart relationship with respect to each other and cemented or otherwise substantially permanently secured to the wall with a rigid bar member supported thereby and extending therebetween. The bar is likewise usually permanently installed in recesses provided in the brackets, so that it cannot be removed without breaking or otherwise destroying it, or breaking or otherwise removing one of the supporting brackets, which usually results in a substantial defacing of the wall.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a supporting bar for use in towel fixtures and the like that may be quickly and easily mounted within supporting brackets and may likewise be removed therefrom, the insertion and removal being permitted without either destruction of the bar or movement of its supporting brackets.

A further object is the provision of an insertable and removable supporting bar for towel fixtures and the like that is composed of a plurality of segments, yet presents coextensive planar faces that are free of any protuberance or the like that might serve to snag or otherwise damage articles hung thereupon.

A further object is the provision of a basic construction for a towel bar and the like whereby the length of the bar is established at the time of erection and after the supporting brackets have been afiixed in position, providing for on the job adjustments that are impossible with prefabricated bars of a predetermined length.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a portion of this specification, and in which drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the bar with the supporting brackets and a portion of the supporting bar being in section to illustrate preferred details.

FIG, 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a resilient suppont that may be utilized upon one end of the supporting bar in order to limit longitudinal movement thereof.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are perspective views illustrating the various steps in the assemblage of the supporting bar.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is showna preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A may designate the bar supporting brackets and B the supporting bar.

The brackets A preferably include a main body portion 12 having a mounting lug 13 embedded in a retaining material 15, such as cement, upon the wall 16. I preferably provide a pair of mounting brackets A, the same being designated as 17 and 18, the brackets 17 and 18 being respectively provided with facing recesses or sockets 20 and 21 in which are seated the ends of the bar B.

3,009,580 Patented Nov. 21, 1961 tion, such as round, hexagonal, or other, and I have shown it in the drawings to be of a polygonal shape. This polygonal bar 25 preferably includes an upper wall 27, lower wall 28 and end side walls 23 and 30, the walls 27, 28, 29 and 30 defining a longitudinally extending chamber 32 that extends the length of the bar 25.

As shown in FIG. 5, the bar 25 is provided with an angular cut adjacent one end thereof dividing the bar 25 into a main body section 33 having an end 34 substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the bar and an end 35 diagonally disposed with respect to longitudinal axis of the bar; and an end section 36 having an end 37 substantially normal to longitudinal axis of the bar and an end 38 diagonally disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bar.

As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom wall 28 of the end section 36 is provided with an opening 39 to receive attaching means, such as a screw, as will be subsequently described.

As shown in FIG. 6, the end 34 of the main body section 33 of the bar is inserted within the socket 20 of the bracket 17, and a block or plug 42 is inserted within the passageway 32 adjacent end 35 of the bar 33. This block 42 provides coupling means for alignment and assemblage of the sections 33 and 36 as a unitary structure. A portion 44 of the block 42 is left extending beyond the end 35 of the bar portion 33 a distance not greater than the length of the shortest wall of the bar portion 36, which is the wall 27 in the drawing. This extension 44 is preferably no longer than is required to provide a means of unitarily joining the bar sections 33 and 36 and the shortest length thereof is slightly less than the distance by which the bar 25 was cut shorter than the spacing between the facing ends of sockets 20 and 21. The insert or plug 42 is of substantially the same outer dimensions as the interior dimensions of the chamber 32 so that it can be relatively tightly wedged in the chamber 32. The bar end portion 36 is inserted within the socket 21 of the bracket 18, with the angularly cut end 38 extending outwardly therefrom.

As shown in FIG. 7, the main body portion 33 and the end portion 36 of the bar are aligned, the extended portion 44 of the block 42 interfitted within the chamber 32 of the end portion 36, and the main body portion 33 is pushed toward the end portion 36 until their respective angularly cut edges 35 and 38 meet, at which time the portion 44 of the insert 42 will interfit completely within the chamber 32 of the end portion 36. Attaching means, such as a screw 47, may then be inserted within the opening 39 of the end portion 36 and secured to the block 42. l 1

Inasmuch as the block 42 is wedged within the respective chambers 32 of the main portion 33 and the end portion 36, the same will serve, by itself, to relatively position these sections with respect to each other, and the screw 47 is provided as a positive lock therebetween.

Due to the fact that the overall extension of the bar 25 is slightly less than the distance between the facing ends of the sockets 20' and 21, there will be some lateral movement of the bar within the sockets, and I have thus provided expansible means 50 to take up this slack. The means 50 is preferably in the nature of a cap and includes a plate 52 having an indented central portion 53 within which is mounted a leaf spring 54, such as by means of rivet 55. The outermost edges of the plate 52 J1 substantially coincide with the outermost sides of the bar 25, the indented portion 53 interfitting within the chamber 32 of the bar 25. The indented portion 53 is provided so that the spring means can be compressed therein flush with the plate 52 so that no excessive longitudinal slack is required for assemblage of the bar. It is, of course, obvious that a coil spring or other resilient means may be secured to the plate 52 in place of the leaf spring 54. In the assemblage of the bar with this resilient cap, the cap is slipped onto the end 34 of the main body portion 33, the same then interfitted within the socket 20, the plug 42 inserted and the bar assembled as has been previously described.

It will be seen that when the bar is completely assembled Within the brackets the distance from end to end thereof is greater than the distance between the facing edges of the brackets 17 and 18, so that the bar cannot be removed from its position without disassembly. The use of the expansible means 50 provides a bar that is substantially longitudinally fixed.

Although the supporting bar herein shown and described has been primarily designated as being a part of a towel fixture, it is obvious that the same is not limited to such application, but may be utilized in any environment wherein it is desired to support a bar between two substantially fixed brackets, such as bars used in gymnasiums.

Various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a bar structure having a pair of spaced apart brackets provided with bar supporting sockets, a bar having a main body portion and an end body portion, with the exterior surfaces of each of said body portions being coextensive in a planar relationship, each of said body portions being provided with a socket interfitting end and an end diagonally disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bar, the last mentioned end of each said main body portion and said end body portion being in coplanar abutment, each of said body portions being provided with a longitudinally extending chamber adjacent the end of coplanar abutment, and coupling means inserted Within the chambers and coextensive within each of said body portions throughout and beyond the point of coplanar abutment for interconnecting said main body portion and said end body portion to form a unitary bar free from projections extending outwardly from the exterior surface thereof.

2. In a bar structure having a pair of spaced apart brackets provided with bar supporting sockets, a hollow bar providing a chamber throughout its length and having a main body portion and an end body portion, the exterior surfaces of each of said body portions being coextensive in a. planar relationship, each of said body portions being provided with a socket interfitting end and an end diagonally disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bar, the last mentioned end of each said main body portion and said end body portion being in coplanar abutment with the chamber of said bar coextensive through the point of coplanar abutment, coupling means inserted within said chamber and coextensive within each of said body portions throughout and beyond the point of coplanar abutment for interconnecting said main body portion and said end body portion to form a unitary bar with the exterior surfaces thereof free from outwardly extending projections, and expansible means mounted adjacent one of the socket interfitting ends of said bar and interfitting within one of the sockets for limiting Ion gitudinal movement of said bar.

3. In a bar structure having a pair of spaced apart brackets provided with bar supporting sockets, a bar having a main body portion and an end body portion, with the exterior surfaces of each of said body portions being coextensive in a planar relationship, each of said body portions being provided with a socket interfitting end and an end diagonally disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bar, the last mentioned end of each main body portion and said end body portion being in coplanar abutment, each of said body portions being provided with a longitudinally extending chamber adjacent the end of coplanar abutment; coupling means inserted Within the chambers of said body portions and coextensive within each of said body portions throughout and beyond the point of coplanar abutment for interconnecting said main body portion and said end body portion to form a unitary bar free from projections extending outwardly from the exterior surface thereof; and expansible means mounted adjacent one of the socket interfitting ends of said bar and interfitting within one of the sockets for limiting longitudinahmovement of said bar, said expansible means comprising a plate having its peripheral edge coextensive with the outermost surfaces of said bar, said plate having an indented central por' tion interfitting within one end of said bar, and a spring mounted upon said plate and positioned for complete depression within said indentation.

4. In a bar structure having a pair of spaced apart brackets provided with bar supporting sockets, a bar having a main body portion and an end body portion, each of said body portions being provided With a socket interfitting end and an end diagonally disposed with re spect to the longitudinal axis of the bar, the last mentioned ends of each said main body portion and said end body portion being in coplanar abutment and provided with a coextensive chamber therewithin, a plug received within and extending into the chambers of each of said body portions, said plug extending within the chamber of said end body portion a distance less than the shortest side of said end body portion, and said plug extending within said main body portion a distance greater than the shortest side of said end body portion, and attaching means for securing said plug in juxtaposition with respect to said end body portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

